ArtAsiaPacific - May - June 2022

In this issue

The simple activity of hanging out propelled the establishment of many of Indonesia’s collectives in the 2000s. Among the groups born of this era are Taring Padi, for whom hangouts serve as the basis for collective discussions, which can then lead to solidarity movements alongside women, Indigenous peoples, the LGBTQ community, farmers, and others fighting for their rights. In our cover Feature, contributing writer Kerstin Winking details the group’s approaches to pacifist activism as they respond to the evolving conditions of marginalized communities. In the second feature, deputy editor HG Masters talks with Jumana Manna about her new film Foragers (2022), which depicts Palestinians gathering wild herbs in defiance of Israeli laws. Reflecting on her interest in Levantine agricultural practices and ideas of resilience, Manna explores the ties with her earlier films and her sculptures. In Up Close, the editors spotlight three recent works: Yang Yongliang’s video Five Dragons (2020); Tammy Nguyen’s Freehold (2022) paintings; and Leung Mee Ping’s installation Sound of Silence (2021). For Inside Burger Collection, curator Hendrik Folkerts examines the work of the enigmatic artist Vaginal Davis. Elsewhere, associate editor Pamela Wong profiles Tsubasa Kato, whose collaborative projects are occasions for community members to rally together. Managing editor Chloe Chu spoke to Shubigi Rao about her ten-year-project Pulp: A Short Biography of the Banished Book (2014– ), on view in the Singapore Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale. Essays delves into Jakarta’s Gudskul and the potentials of alternative art schools in Southeast Asia. For Dispatch, we hear from curator Olga Veselova about the aftermath of Almaty’s violent protests in January. In Where I Work, writer Emily Chun visits the Brooklyn studio of Stewart Uoo. Lastly, in One on One, James Clar explains how Pierre Huyghe taught him about constructing narrative experiences that reflect humanity’s values.

ArtAsiaPacific Magazine Description:

For 20 years, ArtAsiaPacific Magazine has been at the forefront of the powerful creative forces that shape contemporary art from Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East. Covering the latest in contemporary visual culture, ArtAsiaPacific is published 6 times a year in Hong Kong, with editorial desks in 25 countries around the world. Our special annual issue, the ArtAsiaPacific Almanac, published in January, covers the major art events of the past year and forecasts the key trends of the year to come.
The dominant artistic influence in the world today - and for many years to come emanates from the vast territory that lies between Turkey and the Pacific island of Tonga that we call the Asia-Pacific. This territory includes India, China, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Pakistan, New Zealand, Korea and Indonesia, whose combined populations make up an amazing half of the world's total population. Also included are Burma, Cambodia, Kiribati and Uzbekistan - places hitherto overlooked, but which like their gigantic neighbors, are producing cutting-edge art of stunning and unexpected quality.
ArtAsiaPacific is authoritative, accurate, even-handed, exact and essential. Included in each issue is an up-to-date directory of the major galleries, not-for-profit organizations and museums with a focus on contemporary art from our geographical footprint. ArtAsiaPacific offers thoughtful reportage, analysis, comment and criticism to its readers made up of collectors, gallerists, curators, artists and those who want and who need to know the latest developments in the fastest-growing and most astonishing region of the contemporary art world.